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Scams to look out for during election season

TMJ4

By: Pete Knutson

Posted at 11:25 AM, Mar 13, 2024

and last updated 2024-03-13 16:49:54-04

TULSA, Okla. — The commercials, the campaigns, and the controversy of a presidential election are in full swing.

That means scammers are running their own campaigns with the goal of ripping people off, all in the name of doing their civic duty of voting.

Delores from Tulsa told the Problem Solvers, “A gentleman called and told me there were problems with voting rolls, and many people won’t be able to vote for president because of it. I told him I’ve voted for years with no problems, but he said kinks in the system across the country are kicking voters off the rolls.”

What'd the caller say?

Delores said the caller guaranteed he would make sure she’s good to go on election day
She needed to provide some personal information to confirm her voting records
He told her time was of the essence, because of the deadline to register to vote

The Federal Trade Commission and other security experts say beware of such schemes. Matthew Wernz, a spokesperson for the Southwest Region for the Federal Trade Commission said, “Scammers follow the headlines.”
They sure do. And they move quickly, says the FTC. And the presidential election is only one example.

How do you stay safe?

Experts say never do what you’re asked to do by someone contacting you out of the blue
Never give out any personal or financial information for any reason
And as in this case, if you want to confirm you’re registered to vote, just check with your local election board.
Do not give anyone else the information to supposedly check for you

There are many other versions of voting scams as well, according to the National Association of Secretaries of State: